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Month: June 2014

This past month we were busy with distributing new MyLibraryNYC cards to all our students at Flushing High School. These new cards gave our students access to NYC, Brooklyn and Queens public library systems. I compared the library card to a passport, with these cards our students can “travel” the world. These cards permit our students to borrow books and other media from all three New York City public library systems. They also have access to all of the databases that the NYC public libraries subscribe to.

It was very important to me to distribute the cards with great panache. We wanted students to take advantage of the many databases, fun programs and materials available from the public library. This lesson was given to all high school students. We modified our lessons for different learning styles and grade levels.

Depending on student interest and time allocation, I sometimes abbreviated the film and just had students view the first four minutes of the film, then went to the 8 minute point and showed the teen advisory meeting and the conclusion.

Following the film, I gave out postcards produced by the Queens Public Library and had students write their representative about why the library should be open at least six days a week.

The next activity was a short reading about library services. I used 4 different handouts with the students:

For ninth and tenth graders I used a handout “Library Services” from Your Taxes at Work, Community Resources. (8). Suter, Joann. “Library Services”. Community Resources Student Worktext. Saddleback Publishing. (2011)

Have students answer these questions on light bulb templates:
1. What have you learned at the Flushing High School library?
2. How can a school librarian help you?
3. Why are school libraries important?